Proposal Writing - those who have done it knows how hard it is - Courses don’t teach the detailed how to.
Business capture and proposal writing, those who have done it knows how hard it is and just how demanding of time. Courses don’t teach the detailed knowledge.
I started off my career as a system engineer thinking it was normal to work up to the wire every time - including throughout the night, the evening before a deadline. Typically it had been teams of short tempered, bleary eyed people rushing about without enough time to spare for pleasantries. Working on an offer, answering a RFQ or ITT where no, or little, preparation may be completed ahead of receiving the paperwork is merciless.
There were 4, in those days, very gifted, big-hitting superheroes in the organization with boundless energy who, it seemed, along with a full day jobs could design, develop, prototype, make sure – most of all – write meant for bids and proposals. Perfectly as well as in spades. They were also very commercially aware and understood engineering and engineering production. Costing was straightforward, if a bit skin-of-the-teeth when preliminary designs were late arriving; and risk was catered for almost intuitively. Almost every RFP or ITT that a proposal was submitted was won. These were very highly regarded in the organization – by management and colleagues alike. Smaller bids would be written by a person. For medium-sized opportunities a bid team seemed to need 2 of them. Larger opportunities demanded all of them to make sure innovation and brilliance was applied to every aspect of the proposal. Much was achieved by these few simply because they were driven, multi-skilled and every understood the organization proposal “process” – it was in their heads – however they had worked at the organization for long enough that they – and those who caused them – understood that which was required at all times.
This worked well while the company was still relatively small. However the work won caused the organization to develop – filled with growing pains and also the superheroes were also the folks the organization relied onto fix wayward programmes. They began to be spread too thinly and couldn’t support everything. The wins became less frequent.
As organisations grow and people join (by leaving), there needs to be less reliance on a small tight knit group who behave as one mind and process is required to ensure that everybody understands what is to be done, how and by whom. This is correct across the board but particularly true for business capture activities, that are characterised by a powerful short time of work (1-6 months) which encompasses all the skill sets usually present in full development programmes. Old hands, new starters alike – including extra superheroes - need every single child work cohesively within a commonly understood framework. Knowing what and how to do something, and by when.
For me, reviewing it many years later, the anecdote epitomises the challenge which faces managers budgeting to win new business in support of their strategic plan:
You’ll need superheroes to win - but need process too, to know how to write proposals, so everyone knows how to proceed!
• Gaining early understanding of the requirement and customer
• Apply the superheroes’ minds (and energy) early
• Complete everything possible outside the proposal period - define process; obtain Teaming Partners; produce prototypes/demonstrators; identify major risks and establish mitigation; education of associates(requirement and process); and so on
• Leave the bid period for writing the proposal and generating the final costs
They are just a little tongue-in-cheek. Used, few companies is capable of 100% of all these. But there is no harm in setting ideal goals!
